40 Under 40 2017: Maile Lyons

After establishing strong roots in television at NBC and Bravo, Maile Lyons crossed over to PR at WE Communications, where she now leads a multifaceted, multi-region team representing a diverse portfolio of technology and consumer brands, including Microsoft, Volvo, Honeywell, Woodford Reserve, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Under her leadership, the team provides a full suite of services and excels at shifting perceptions and driving sales. Lyons is particularly adept at conceiving thoughtful stories to highlight clients’ products. She was able to feature Microsoft’s Project Premonition in a Today piece on how technology is being used to combat the threat of diseases such as Zika.

Lyons is also a master of making the most out of big events for big brands. Her most recent success was Microsoft’s devices announcement, which generated almost 1,000 broadcast hits, reached an international audience of hundreds of millions, and landed banner headlines on the airwaves such as "Microsoft is raising its game."

A leader in the agency as well as the industry, Lyons was recently selected to participate in the firm’s Leadership Forum, which brings together a small group of people from across the U.S. who are considered integral to the future of the agency. The group meets regularly over the course of the year to discuss business issues and engage in professional and personal development education.

Lyons is already putting what she has learned to work. As one of her teammates put it, "Maile empowers our team to be successful and independent. Whether it’s introducing me to her wealth of contacts in the industry or teaching me to manage tough projects, she brings my work to a higher level and positions me to grow as a person."

Her team’s billings have grown 25% in the past two years.

Maile started out in NBC’s storied page program then joined NBC full-time as a publicity coordinator.

She participated in the Seattle Brain Cancer Walk and donates her time to help care for those suffering from the condition.